Space medicine

Electrogastroenterogram
recorder Splanhograph

The epicutaneous electrogastroenterogram (EGEG) recorder Splanhograph, space version of the serial EGEG recorder Gastroscan-GEM, is used for investigating of structural-functional state of different sections of gastroenteric tract, organs and vessels of abdominal cavity, retroperitoneal space and mechanisms on which they are based, which determine features of the digestive system changes in weightlessness.

Two stages of investigations have been completed. Now the experiments performed on the International Space Station.

Studies of the gastrointestinal tract in the simulation of weightlessness by dry immersion

The dry immertion tester falls into bathroom on a special film. This film is a water-tight plastic membrane layer situated between the tester and the water, allowing them to float on liguid but remain dry — keeping skin problems and execuses to quit a minimum. Below are shown in the photos by IMBP the study of a gastrointestinal tract by electrogastroenterography and ultrasound. The studies conducted Boris Afonin and Eugene Sedova. More about the simulation of weightlessness by dry immersion see here.

Studies of the gastrointestinal tract in the Mars-500 project

The international crew of researchers hold 520-day isolation from June 3, 2010 to November 4, 2011. It was the project Mars-500 — simulating manned flight to Mars. Crew of the experimental facility simulating an interplanetary spacecraft, conducted a 24-hour study of electrical activity of different parts of the gastrointestinal tract. For these studies, the Institute of Biomedical Problems of RAS, with the participation of the RPE Istok-Sistema based on the commercial acidogastroenterograph Gastroscan-GEM created an experimental model of the airborne gastroenterograph Splanhograph (for experiment Splanh). The board gastroenterograph Splanhograph in contrast to the acidogastroenteromonitor Gastroscan-GEM hadn't a pH channel. In the left photo: marsonaut Alexander Smoleevsky launch electrogastroenterography research of of gastroenteric tract of Alexey Sitёv. More about the Mars-500 see here.

Studies of the gastrointestinal tract in the International Space Station

The Splanh Experiment is the part of the program "Man in Space" performed in the International Space Station. The experiment was started February 3, 2014 (Expedition 38), and continued throughout 2014 and 2015. More about Splanh Experiment in the ISS see here.